What do you think is the physician-view of an “ideal patient”?
Well, as physicians, though we would like to think of caring for an ideal patient, we have to face the reality that this would rarely happen. You see, the ideal patient would be one who, first of all, bears many of the views and goals of the physician. As physicians, we really can’t believe that we will be so lucky. …
Should doctors really want ideal patients?
One will find many examples of precaution and their corresponding examples of risk in how medical care is provided by physicians and accepted by patients. In fact, not only do these two elements correspond but at times the price, itself, of precaution becomes the risk.
Risk is everywhere in medical practice. Risk is present when a patient is selecting a physician. The risk is becoming the patient of a doctor whose …
Balancing precaution and the apparent risk in medicine
“Be a fountain not a drain,” an expression used by baseball announcer Rex Hudler, is one that has motivational content particularly in terms of an individual included as part of a team.
I would suggest that this expression would be appropriate when considering a basic team in medical practice: the doctor-patient relationship. It is critical in most clinical situations that both the doctor and the patient assume responsibility for making …
Patients need to contribute to help their doctors
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